The statement is true. In the genetic code, the AUG codon is recognized as the start codon. It not only signals the beginning of protein synthesis but also codes for the amino acid methionine.
This means that whenever a ribosome starts translating mRNA, the first codon it encounters is typically AUG, and this codon will incorporate methionine into the growing polypeptide chain. In eukaryotic cells, methionine is the first amino acid in all protein sequences, while in prokaryotes, the first amino acid can sometimes be a modified form of methionine called N-formylmethionine. However, the AUG codon consistently correlates with methionine across different species when it comes to starting the translation process.